Australia coach Joe Schmidt says he won’t “bury the squad” after their record 67-27 loss to Argentina on Saturday, but will demand an immediate response from his young players.
The Wallabies conceded the most points in their Test history, leaking four of nine tries conceded in the final 10 minutes as Schmidt said his team “fell off a cliff” in hot conditions in Santa Fe.
A repeat of last week’s 20-19 win in La Plata seemed on the cards as Australia opened up an early 20-3 lead, but that was reduced to 20-17 at the interval.
Schmidt lamented a disappointing final 40 minutes.
“After four halves here in Argentina, three of them were at a level that were really competitive and one of them, we fell off a cliff,” Schmidt said.
“I’m not going to bury the squad on the basis that one half is well below what our expectations are.
“For me, it’s really how the team respond now. They are proud young men and incredibly proud to represent the Wallabies.”
Schmidt has driven a rebuild since being appointed head coach this year in place of Eddie Jones, leading his side to four wins and three defeats.
But they are last in the Rugby Championship with a solitary win after being well beaten twice by the Springboks.
Lock Josh Canham came off the bench to become the 16th Wallabies player to make his Test debut this year, with Schmidt conceding their inexperience was exposed as they tried to play catch-up in the dying stages.
“Certainly I think the last 10 minutes we were over-chasing the game with a young group and as always the risk is the score will blow out,” former Ireland head coach Schmidt said.
“There’s a fair bit of youth out there, particularly coming off the bench and it was a very tough period of time for them, to play out that last 20 or 30 minutes.
“Until then, the game was very much in the balance.”
Schmidt said it was no disgrace to lose heavily to an Argentina side who last month posted a 38-30 win over New Zealand in Wellington — the most points the All Blacks have conceded in a home Test.
He said they will need to be more physical in their last two Rugby Championship Tests — against New Zealand in Sydney on September 21 and Wellington a week later.
